Art of printing



G. H. ERNEWEIN 2,007,566

ART OF' PRINTING Filed March l0, 1932 Fig). 2

' K INVENTOR @e0/yeh? /ewez C sulIKORNEYS Patented July 9, 193s UNITED 4STATES PATENT OFFICE ART 0F PRINTING George H. Ernewein, Buffalo, N. Y. y Application March l0, 1932, Serial No. 598,043 4 Claims. (Cl. lill-401.3)

'Ihis invention relates to the art of printing and primarily to newspaper. printing wherein more or less elaborate advertisements are dealt with. v

The operating technique at the present time involves a series of steps comprising several preliminary steps before the electrotype plate is produced and nally finished. The electrotype of a photograph or picture embodies printing shades of varying degrees which electrotype is then put in a form from which the mat is made for forming the curved printing plate. When printing from such plate it is customary to vary the pressure upon. different portions of the printing surface in accordance with `the blackness of the shade. Thus, for a light printing shade the pressure will be lighter than for a blacker shade.

In case of national advertising these electrotypes must be shipped to the diiferent customers or newspaper establishments, and being heavy as Well as exceedingly expensive to produce, it is obvious that when advertising on alarge scale the expense of making a multiplicity of electrotypes and shipping them to the different customers, is very expensive. Further, as these electrotypes are successively used for the production of printing plates, which production necessitates heavy pressures being applied to different portions thereof, the small projections of which the surface of the electro type is formed are distorted or flattened to such an extent as to cloud and blur thev resulting printing surface.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve this phase in the art of printing in a manner to enable the customer to have a clear and well deflned printing surface at a minimum expense.

The invention further resides in the method of printing in which a master matrix of durable construction is made.

Ini the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the relieved electrotype plate.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the underlay utilized in bringing the electrotype into relief.

Fig. 3 -is a sectional view through the plate about on line 3 3.

Fig. 4 is a similar about on line 4 4.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the relieved plate and matrix assemblage prior to the drying step.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view through the completed master matrix.

In proceeding in accordance with the present view through the underlay invention, several impressions or proofs are made from the electrotype or plate I, this plate being broad and inclusive manner as covering electro-V types, half tones, etchings or the like. These impressions are preferably made on different thicknesses of paper. The number of impressions or proofs taken will depend upon the different shades found in the subject or which are to be used in the printing.

I now take one of the proofs so made, indicated at 2, and remove all portions thereof with the exception of the darkest shade and place the same on the back of the electrotype plate in perfect registry with the corresponding darkest portions thereof. This proof 2 is preferably on the thickest paper. The next proof, indicated at 3, has all the semi-highlights and highlights removed and then is placed in perfect registry with proof 2, securing the layers 2 and 3 together preferably by paste. Proof 3 is preferably on thinner paper. A third proof, when such is required, may have all the highlights removed and is then placed in perfect registry on the two preceding layers 2 and 3. This process is carried out for as many different printing shades or depths of shades which the subject matter may have, the several layers or proofs being made on paper of different thicknesses. For instances, layer 2 is preferably of greater thickness than layer 3 while the next layer will be thinner than layer 3, and so on, so that in the resulting laminated "underlay the darkest shades will have the aggregate thickness of all the layers (if there be only three shades), the next shade will have the aggregate thickness of remaining layers, excepting the darkest layer, while the lightest shade will possess only the single thickness of its layer. Thus if the lightest layer is considered as a unit ofv thickness, the next layer will be twice the thickness of the lightest layer, and so on. This underlay may be built up separately on one of the proof sheets 6 and then placed in perfect registry on the back of the electrotype etching or half tone, in lieu of being secured thereto individually.

The plate, with its underlay, is then placed on a metal base together with a matrix blank, and the whole is subjected to heat and pressure so as to effect a raising of the dark shade portions and semi-dark shade portions above the face of the plate in relief according to the varied thicknesses of the underlay, and simultaneously produce a relieved matr' The application of heat causes the metal body of the plate to more readily yield and give so as to offset or bring the face portions to a clear and well-dened relief.

A relief preservative, indicated in the drawing on an exaggerated scale at 5, and being in the form of a paste, is applied to the back or top surface of the matrix and the aggregate (that is the paste coated matrix, the plate, and its underlay) is theninserted in a press and subjected to pressure. At the same time heat is applied so as to dry the matrix while being firmly pressed against the plate, the relief of which is in turn supported by its underlay. This enables the maintenance of the relief in a bold and sharp manner while the relief retaining paste impregnates the dry. The matrix is, therefore, given a definite set from which clear printing faces may be cast.

Subsequent to the removal from the drying press, the matrix is ready for the casting of stereotype plates in the usual manner.

By thus drying the matrix, as in a steam press, and while still on the plate, which is in turn supported by its underlay, the face of the matrix is given a sharp and well-defined relief from which clear and distinct printing surfaces may be cast, and by reason f the paste impregnation of the iiber of the matrix, the relief of the molding face of the latter is retained for a long period of usefulness by the reinforcing and stiifening functioning of the paste.

It is the object' of the invention to produce a large number of matrices and consequently, after the original matrix has been prepared and removed from the plate with its underlay, the plate and underlay are associated with a new matrix blank, and the pressing and preservative-treating operations are repeated, asoutlined above. Of course, after the original operation the plate will have been relieved and the retention of the underlay in subsequent matrix impressions is merely for the purpose of preserving the relief surface of the plate.

In this way any number of matrices may be formed with a minimum of deterioration in the surface and relief of the master plate, and a matrix is sent to each publisher in lieu of an electrotype, as has heretofore been the custom. From these matrices, due to their clear and welldeflned molding faces, fiat casts or stereotypes may be made by the customer or publisher. This not only avoids the great expense required to produce electrotypes heretofore required, but also enables the production of printing surfaces which are always clear and distinct. This is due largely to the fact that in the former methods the electrotype surfaces were subjected to heavy and destructive pressures, resulting in blurring and rendering obscure the lighter shade portions of the electrotype. In such former methods the fiber of the matrix and becomes shade portions in the design face of the electrotype or plate were in the ysame plane with the darker shade portions, but by bringing the darker shade portions into relief, as above set forth, and backing such relieved portions by the underlay during the application of the required heavy pressures, the lighter shade portions of the de sign face are protected.

What is claimed is:

1. The art of printing comprising the steps of backing a plate having a design face with an underlay of varying thickness, depending upon the varying shades to be obtained, subjecting the same to pressure to bring the design face into relief, then mounting on the face f the plate a fiber matrix, applying a relief retaining filler to the back of the matrix to impregnate the fiber thereof, and then subjecting the matrix while still on the plate topressure and heat. A

2. The art of preparing matrices comprising the backing of a plate having a design face with an underlay of varying thicknesses corresponding to the different shades to be employed in the printing and subjecting the same to heat and pressure to soften the plate and bring its face to relief, applying a matrix member over the relieved face, subjecting the whole to pressure to bring the matrix member into relief, coating the back of the matrix with a relief preservative cornpound to become dried and hardened by the application of heat, and then subjecting the whole to heat and pressure, to dry the matrix while still in contact with the relieved face of the plate.

3. The art of printing consisting in applying an underlay to the back of a plate having a design face, subjecting the plate with its underlay to heat under pressureto bring the design face of the plate into relief, then superimposing a fibrous matrix on the face of the relieved face of the plate and subjecting the matrix with the plate and its underlay to pressure, applying a matrix relief preservative to the back of the matrix, then drying the matrix under pressure while still superimposed upon the plate with its underlay, and finally removing the matrix and casting a printing surface therefrom.

4. In the art of printing, the method of preparing matrices, consisting in applying an underlay to the back surface of the plate having a front design face, subjecting the plate with its underlay to pressure and heat simultaneously whereby portions of the design face are brought into relief in substantial correspondance to the underlay, placing a matrix over the relieved face of the plate and subjecting the entirety to pressure, applying a relief preservative to the back of the matrix, and finally drying the matrix under pressure and while still relatively superimposed upon the plate.

GEORGE H. ERNEWEIN. 

